Chemical Defense in Marine Organisms

加州大学圣地亚哥分校斯克里普斯海洋、地球化学和海洋化学研究所的威廉·H·费尼奇教授因研究海洋生物中的化学防御而得到有机合成计划的支持。Fenical教授探索海洋动植物的化学生态学，以扩大我们对海洋生物产生的分子的来源、类型和反应性的知识，并探索这些分子在海洋生物栖息地内物种间相互作用中的自然功能。在从海鞘、柳珊瑚、苔藓虫和其他海洋生物中分离和确定了新的生物活性天然产物之后，探索了选定的次生代谢物的区域选择性反应性和骨骼相互关系。该项目侧重于利用自然捕食者对纯物质进行生态相关性测试，旨在探索海洋生物新类别天然产品的化学行为，确定这些化合物在物种间相互作用中发挥的具体作用，并确定这些有机分子对热带海洋环境生物组成的影响。海洋生物，无论是植物还是动物，都会产生一系列令人震惊的有机化合物。在有机合成计划的支持下，加州大学圣地亚哥分校斯克里普斯海洋、地球化学和海洋化学研究所的威廉·H·费尼奇教授探索了海洋生物通过化学手段进行防御的方法。通过对各种海洋生物产生的分子进行分离、结构确定和测试。费尼奇教授确定了用于化学防御的有机分子的性质，以及这些有机分子对热带海洋环境生物组成的影响。此外，这些海洋化学防御的基础研究正在导致分离出具有潜在生物医学和商业意义的化合物，包括消炎剂。

Professor William H. Fenical, of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Geochemistry, and Marine Chemistry at the University of California at San Diego, is supported by the Organic Synthesis Program for his studies of chemical defense in marine organisms. Professor Fenical explores the chemical ecology of marine plants and animals in order to expand our knowledge of the sources, types, and reactivities of molecules produced by marine organisms and to explore the natural functions of these molecules in interspecies interactions within marine habitats. Following isolation and structure determination of new bioactive natural products from ascidians, gorgonians, bryozoans, and other marine organisms, the regioselective reactivities and skeletal interrelationships of selected secondary metabolites are explored. This project, emphasizing ecologically relevant testing of pure substances using natural predators, seeks to explore the chemical behaviors of new classes of natural products from marine organisms, to establish the specific roles these compounds play in interspecies interactions, and to define the influence of these organic molecules on the biological composition of tropical marine environments. Marine organisms, both plant and animal, produce an astounding array of organic compounds. With the support of the Organic Synthesis Program, Professor William H. Fenical, of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Geochemistry, and Marine Chemistry at the University of California at San Diego, explores the chemical means by which marine organisms effect their defense. Through isolation, structure determination, and testing of molecules produced by various classes of marine organisms. Professor Fenical establishes the nature of the organic molecules used for chemical defense and the influence of these organic molecules on the biological composition of tropical marine environments. In addition, these fundamental studies of marine chemical defense are resulting in the isolation of compounds of potential biomedical and commercial significance, including antiflammatory agents.